Rifle.



No. 847,967. PATENTBD MAR. 19, 1907. H. M. NOEGKER.

RIFLE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC). 1, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Witnesses I 1, 2% W PATENTED MAR. 19, 1907. H. M. NOEGK'ER. RIFLE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 1, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

, u u Nb m a. w. W. y.

Inue ntor ev $3 an AN w ww With/e55 es HARRY M. NOECKER, OF WASHINGTON,IOWA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 19, 1907.

Application filed December 1, 1904. Serial No. 285,395.

To lF/IJJ'i/t it may concern;

Be it known that I, HARRY M. Xonennn, a citizen of the United States,residing at ashingto'n, in the county of W'ashington and State of Iowa,have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Rifles, of whichthe following is a speciiicatioi'i.

The objects of my invention are to provide a magazine-rifle in which theparts are so arranged to automatically mov a shell from a positionimmediately behind the magazine to a firing position and to maintain itin that position until the shell has been exploded by the firingmechanism and then to extract the shell from the bore of the rifle anddrop it beneath the gun by the same automatic arrangement which forcesthe shell into position.

A further object is to provide a. rifle in which the hammer of the gunis automatically thrown to a cocked position and main tained in thatposition until the trigger rclcases it and allows it to be thrownforwardly against the firing-pin.

A further and very material object is to provide a safety device forlocking the gun in a cooked position and so covering up the rear of theiiring pin that it will be impossible for the hammer to strike it evenif it should be released.

My in *ention consists in certain details in the construction,arrangement, and combination of the various parts of the device wherebythe objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully setforth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in whieh* Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the gunwith a portion thereof broken away to show in section the interior andoperative parts of the gun-lock and breech-bolt. Fig. 2 is a detail viewof the plate at the rear of the cartridge-chamber and shows a. portionof the device for rotating said chamber. Fig. 3 is a front elevation ofthe cartridge-chamber. Fig. 4- is a longitudinal srctional vi: w of thebreech-bolt and shows a iirii'ig-pin which extends longitudinally of it.Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the stock of the gun cut on the line.5 .5 of Fig. 1, showing in detail the mechanism for winding up thedriving-spring which operates the breech-bolt. Fig. 6 is a verticalsectional view of a portion of the gun, showing in detail the workingparts of my device in position in the stock of i the level gear-wheelwhich is attached to it 110 a gun. Fig. 1 1s a sectional view outthrough the line 7 7 of Fig. 6 and looking toward the rear end of thegun. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the gun cut through the line 8 S ofFig.6, showing 11 front elevation the cartridges chamber. Fig. 9 is adetail view of the safety (l1 vice for preventing the firing of the gunwhen it is in a locked lower position. Fig. 1() is a sectional view ofone of the beveled gear-wheels which operates the breechholt and showsin detail the device for rotating the shaft which causes thecartridgechamher to be rotated as the said beveled gear-wheel isrotated. Fig. 11 is a detail view of the forward end of the breech-bolt,showing the device for grasping the rear of the cartridge. Fig. 12 is afront elevation of the breech-bolt, and Fig. 13 shows in detail thelocking mechanism for holding the breech bolt at its forward limit ofmovement while the r lie is being fired.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 have used therefel'enee-numeral 10 to indicate the stock of the gun,having an opening1 1 extending throughout a portion of it with the shaft 12 mountedtherein, said shaft having a bevel gear-wheel 13 mounted at its upper f()iWilitl end and having the gearwheel 14 mounted at it lower end. Thereis a chamber 15 provided for the gear-wheel 14 at the lower end, and ashaft 16, having a woim-gear on its inner end in mesh with the gem-wheel1%. Attached to the outer end of the shaft 16 is a crank 17, having thehandle 18 pivoted thereto. This handle is so arranged that when it isswung to its outer limit of movement it forms a mechanism whereby theshaft 16 can be easily rotated, and thus cause the woimgear to rotatethe gearwhcel 14. The bevel gear-heel 13 is loosely mounted on the shaft12. Firmly attached at its upper end to the rear of the bevel gearwheelis a sleeve 19, which extends around the shaft and some distance awayfrom it.

Firmly attached at one end of the sleeve 19 mo which is in mesh with thegeaar-wheel 14, 105

which is firmly attached to the shaft 12, the coil-spring will be woundup, and inasmuch as the worm-gear maintains the shaft in a rigidposition constantly the sleeve 19 and will be rotated by said springexcept when said wheel 13 is locked against rotary movement, ashereinafter described.

It will be clearly seen that when the handle 18 is not in use that itcan be folded against the cranks 17, and thus be so arranged that itwill show but little on the surface of the stock of the gun.

Extending across the upper portion of the stock of the gun and in frontof the bevel ge arwheel 13 is a shaft 21, upon which the bevelgear-wheel 22 is rotatably mounted. This bevel gear-wheel 22 is in meshwith it and designed to be driven by the bevel gear-wheel 13 in thedirections shown by the arrow on said wheel in Fig. 6 of the drawings. Ihave provided a notch 23 in the periphery of the bevel gear-wheel 22,into which the upper forward portion of a releasing-trigger is designedto extend. This releasing-trigger I have designated by the numeral 24 ispivotally attached to the forward lower portion of the gun-stock and hasthe handle 25 extending rearwardly from its pivotal point. This triggeris designed to be normally held in engagement with the periphery of thebeveled gear-wheel 22 by means of the leaf-spring 26. This triggerprevents the beveled gear-wheel 22 and 13 from being driven by thespring 20. However, as soon as this trigger is thrown out of the notch23 the spring will cause the wheel to be driven a single revolutionuntil the trigger 24 is again forced into the notch 23 and thus preventsfurther rotation of said beveled gear-wheel 22.

The reference-numeral 27 indicates the barrel of the gun having the bore28 therein and having the magazine-chamber 29 mounted beneath it, saidbarrel-bore and magazine chamber being constructed in the ordinary way.Rotatably mounted at the rear of the bore and magazine-chamber is acartridgechamber 30, having a series of curved slots 31 therein, asshown clearly in Fig. 8 of the drawings. This cartridge-chamber isdesigned to receive the car ridges as they are forced rearwardly fromthe magazine-chainher by the spring at the forward end of said chamberand to move the cartridge from the position at the rear of the magazineto a position immediately behind the bore of the rifle as themagazine-chamber is rotated in the hereinafter described. The cartridgewhich has been moved from this position at the rear of the magazine to aposition immediately behind the breech of the gun is then forced intoposition by my breech-bolt in the manner to be set forth. After thefiring of the rifle, the cartridge is to be drawn out into the same slot31 as that which placed it in position at the rear of said opening bymeans of the extractor, and then the cartridgechamber is rotated acertain distance and the cartridge is allowed to fall the gun when theslot in whicn the cartridge is comes to position immediately at one sideof the opening 32.

Slidingly mounted in the gun and at the rear of the cartridge-chamber 30when in certain positions is a breech-bolt 33, having a catch 34 at itsforward end, which is designed to pass over the rim 35 at the rear ofeach of the cartridges 36, when the cartridge is in its position in thebore of the rifle. Extending through the breech-bolt 33 and slidinglymounted in it is a firing-pin 37, designed to be forced forwardly by thehammer, and thus cause the cartridge to explode.

Pivotally attached to the beech-bolt 33 and to the bevel gear-Wheel 22is a draw-bar 38, so arranged that as the beveled gearwheel 22 isrotated the drawbar will be moved forwardly and rearwardly, and thuscause the breech-bolt to be moved forwardly and rearwardly. When thebevel gear-wheel is in its locked position, the draw-bar and thebreech-bolt attachedv to it will be at their forward limits ofmovementthat is to say, that the forward end of the breech-bolt willrest against the rear of the barrel of the gun and cover the rear of thebore 28 and the breech-bolt will be projecting through one of the curvedslots 31 in the cartridge-chamber 30, and if there is a cartridge in thechamber the catch 34 will be over the rear of the cartridge and inengagement with the rim 35. Then as the wheel 22 is released from itslocked position by operating the trigger 24- the breech-bolt will bedrawn rearwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1. of the drawings andcause the cartridge to be extracted and drawn into one of the slots 31in the cartridge chamber, Where the cartridge falls away from the catchinto the slot 31, into which it is drawn, and then the cartridge-chamberwill be rotated a quarter-turn in the manner to be hereinafterdescribed, and so that the next slot will be in line with the breech ofthe gun and the breech-bolt will be swung forwardly into the positionshown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, and thus cause the cartridge to beforced into its firing position in the breech.

Pivotally mounted above the bevel gearwheel is the safety-lock 39, whichis clearly shown in Fig. 13 of the drawings. This safety-lock has apronged lower portion designed to allow the rear portion of the firingpin to pass between the prongs thereof. Said safety-lock is designed torest against the rear of the breech-bolt and prevent it from rearwardmovement when the cartridge is being fired, and thus prevent the shockof the firing from injuring the Working parts of the device. Thissafety-lock has an extension 41 at its rear end, which is designed to beengaged by the leaf-spring 42, said leaf-spring being so arranged as tohold the safety-lock 39 normally at its upper limit of pivotal outthrough an opening 32 in the lower side of movement, as shown clearly inFig. 1 of the ICC drawings. There is a projection 43 on the periphery ofthe bevel gear-wheel 22, which is (.lesigned to i'iormally engage theprojection 41. when said wheel is maintained in a locked position by thetrigger 24, and thus hold the forward end of the safety-lock in positionagainst the breecl'i-bolt, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. As soon,however, as the wheel 22 is released from its locked position, theleaf-spring 42 forces the projection 41 downwardly and the forward endof the safety-lock upwardly and out of engagement with the breech-bolt33, and thus allow said breech-bolt to be drawn rearwardly by therotation of the wheel 22 in the manner above described.

Slidingly mounted in the upper portion of the gun. and immediatelybehind the pivotal point of attachment of the safety-lock 39 is a slide44, having forwardly-projecting member 45, designed to engage theprojection 41 when this sliding member is at its forward limit ofmovement and force the projection to its extreme upper limit ofmovement, and thus force the forward end of the safety-lock to itsextreme downward limit of movement, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6.and thus cover up the rear portion of the firing-pin, thus preventingthe trigger from striking said pin even though it should be releasedfrom its locked position. Thus a safety de vice is provided which willprevent the firing of the gun when the sliding member 44 is at its upperlimit of movement. hen the sliding meml'zer 44 is at its lower limit ofmovement in the slot 46, the forward projcction 45 does not engage theprojection 41 nor in any way effect the operative parts of the device. Ihave provided a knob 47, which is to be grasped by the operator when hemanipulates the slide 44.

Mounted on the extreme rear end of the shaft 48, upon which thecartridge-chamber 30 is mounted, is a ratchet-wheel 49. having a numberof ratchets which are equal to the number of chambers or slots 31 in thecartridge-chamber. In engagement with said ratchetwheel 49 is a pawl 50.having the driving-arm 51 pivotally attached to that end of it which isout of engagement with the ratchet-wheel 49. Firmly attached to thedriving-arm 51 and extending rearwardly therefrom is therotatably-mounted shaft 52, having the pawl 53, which is clearly shownin Fig. 11) of the drawings, the rear end of said pawl being constantlyin engagement with the smooth portion of the bevel gear-wheel 2-.Extending around the shaft and attached at one end to the frame of thegun and at its other end to the shaft 52 is a spring 54, designed tonormally hold the shaft in position, and thus hold the pawl 53 firmlyagainst the face of the beveled gear-wheel 22. I have provided anopening 55 in the surface of the bevel gearwheel into which the pawl isdesigned to extend when the wheel is in a certain position. ()ne of theedges of said opening 55 is designed to engage the pawl 53 when itstands in the position shown in Fig. 10 of the drawings, and as thewheel 22 continues its rotation, as the pawl 53 enters the opening 55the pawl will be forced out of said opening and this will cause theshaft 52 to e given a quarter-turn, which also drives the driving-arm 51a quarter-turn, and the shaft 48 is driven a quarter-turn by means ofthe pawl 50, which is attached to the drivingarm 51. This causes thecartridge-chamber to be rotated a quartenturn, and thus the cartridgesin said cartridge-chamber are moved to the desired positions relative tothe bore and magazine-chamber of the gun. The pawl then maintains thecartridgechamber in position throughout the entire revolution of thewheel 22 on account of the pawl being held in engagement with thesurface of the wheel by the spring 54 as the wheel is rotated. Thecartridge will be maintained in a locked position by this mechanismuntil the pawl 53 again enters the open ing 55 and the operation isagain repeated.

Pivotally mounted adjacent to the wheel 22 is the hammer 56, having thespring 57 in engagement with a pin 58 on its lower forward extremity, soarranged that except when the hammer is in a cocked position the upperportion of the hammer will be constantly forced forwardly toward thefiringpin, as is common in the ordinary rifle. I have provided a trigger59, designed to ongage the projection 60 on the trigger and normallyhold the trigger in its cocked position when the trigger is inengagement with the notch 60. By releasing the trigger 59 the springs 57force the upper portion of the hammer forwardly, and thus causes thefiring of the gun. The upper portion of the hammer is swung from itsforward position to its cocked position by the same mechanism whichdraws the breech-bolt rearwardly, for the upper portion of the hammer isconstantly in engagementwith the rear portion of said breech-bolt exceptwhen the said hammer is in a cooked position or when the safety-lock 39is so adjusted as to prevent the firing of the gun.

In practical operation and assuming that the operator has wound up thespring 20 and that the parts of the device are in the position shown inFig. 6 of the drawings that is to say, the gun is in a firing position,with the cartridge in the breech and the breech-bolt 33 extendingthrough one of the slots or chambers 31 and resting against the rearportion of the cartridge and the safety-lock 39 in j position, so thatit engages the rear of the breech-bolt-the operator pulls the trigger59, and this causes the hammer to be re- 1 leased. lhe spring 51 willforce the hammer ICO ' the sleeve 19 to be rotated and with it the bevelgear-wheel 13, thus causing the rotation of the beveled gear-wheel 22.As the beveled gear-wheel 22 is rotated the breechbolt 33 will draw thecartridge 36 rearwardly and into the chamber through which thebreech-bolt was passed while the firing took place, and before thishappens, however, the safety-lock will be drawn upwardly by means of thespring 42, as the projection 41 has been thrown out of engagement withthe projection 43. Then the pawl 53 will next enter the opening 55 inthe wheel 22, and as the wheel 22 continues its rotation the pawl 53will be forced out of the opening 55, and the shaft 52, together withits connections, will rotate the chamber 30, thus forcing one of thechambers or spaces 31 to be behind the cartridge-magazine 29, and one ofthe cartridges will be forced into said chamber, and while this is beingdone the cartridge which has been moved behind and to one side of thebore 28 and will be moved in position at the rear of the breech 28 andwill be forced forwardly into the breech by means of the breech-bolt,and the trigger will have been cocked also, and by the time the beveledgearwheel 22 is revolved once and it is locked against further rotationby the trigger 24 the gun will be in readiness for further operation. Ifthe operator desires to carry the gun from one place to another and ifit is loaded, he adjusts the sliding member 44 to its upper limit ofmovement, and an absolute safety-lock is provided, and the cartridgewill be prevented from being exploded by the hammer at any time whilethis safety-lock is at its upper limit of movement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is

1. In a rifle, a shaft extending longitudinally in'the stock of therifle, a bevel gearwheel mounted on one end of said shaft, a springmounted around said shaft and attached at one end to it, means forwinding up said spring, and a second bevel gear-wheel in mesh with thefirst-mentioned gear-wheel, and means for maintaining said gear-wheelagainst rotary movement, for the purposes stated.

2. In a rifle, a shaft extending longitudinally in the stock of therifle, a bevel gearwheel mounted on one end of said shaft, a springmounted around said shaft and attached at one end to it, means forwinding up said spring, and a second bevel gear-wheel in mesh with thefirst-mentioned gear-wheel, means for maintaining said gear-wheelagainst rotary movement, and a breech-bolt pivotally connected with thesecond bevel gear-wheel and designed to be operated by it, for thepurposes stated.

3. In a frame, a spring-actuated wheel, a breech-bolt pivotallyconnected with said wheel, so arranged that as the wheel is rotated, thebreech-bolt will be moved forwardly and rearwardly, a firing-pinextending longitudinally of said breech-bolt, a spring-actuated hammer,a trigger for maintaining the hammer in a cooked position, a safety-lockdesigned to rest against the rear end of said breech-bolt when at itsforward limit of movement, a forked forward portion on said safety-lockand means for forcing the forward end of said safety-lock to a positionwhere the forked forward portions extend around the firing-pin, for thepurposes stated.

HARRY M. NOECKER.

Witnesses:

A. N. ALBERSON, RALPH KELLER.

